Japan: The Burden of Success / Edition 1

by Jean-Marie Bouissou

Overview

Opening a rare glimpse into the substantial French study of Japan, Bouissou summarizes Japanese history from the end of World War II to the new century, argues for a multi-pronged approach to studying the country, and tries to mitigate the ideological prejudices that he says have permeated too many books about Japan. No date or publisher is noted for Japon depuis 1945. Annotation c. Book News, Inc.,Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781588260178
Publisher:	Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/28/2002
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	v
	Preface	xv
	Japanese names and words	xx
1.	Japan in 1945: Historical Background	1
	Japan, State and Nation: a 'Normal' History	1
	Fallacies, conspiracies, bloodshed and treason	1
	The way to 'harmony': submissive ideologies	7
	Closed country and 'straitjacket' society: the Tokugawa era (1603-1867)	11
	Seeds of change behind closed doors	13
	Restoration, renovation or revolution? The Meiji era (1868-1912)	16
	The First Japanese Miracle (1868-1931)	18
	Why did Japan escape the fate of China?	18
	Pragmatic way to economic growth	20
	Political modernisation: democracy vs. the 'imperial system'	24
	The perils of modernisation: the land of rising class struggles	27
	Learning the power game: the first phase of Japan's colonial expansion	28
	Japan under Military Control (1931-45)	30
	The Army's march to power	30
	Moulding Fascism into 'Japanese-ness'	31
	Was Japan blind? How 'normal' expansionism went off course	34
2.	The Occupation: Unfinished Democratisation	39
	Punishment Plans Cut Short	40
	Purges: unfinished work	40
	The war criminals, the Emperor and the Tokyo trial	42
	War reparations and the break-up of the Zaibatsus	45
	Democratisation	48
	The new constitution: seedbed of future conflicts	48
	Democratising education: the road to overcompetition	52
	Local government reform: failure of decentralisation	54
	Reforms and Social Change	55
	Land reform: exceptionally radical	55
	Trade union law reform and the outbreak of labour unrest	58
	The SCAP's turn-about	60
	Civil law reform: liberation of women	62
	Political Change	65
	The 1946 elections and the first Yoshida government	65
	The 1947 elections and the Socialist-Conservative coalitions	68
	Yoshida's triumphs (1948-52)	70
	The End of the Occupation	72
	The Treaty of San Francisco and the US Security Treaty	72
	Unresolved problems: Korea and China	74
	Japan after the Occupation	76
	Facing itself: the shattered image	76
	Facing freedom: a burst of creativity	77
	Facing the past: towards self-absolution	78
	Facing the United States	79
3.	Laying the Foundations of the Miracle (1952-62)	81
	Politics: From Confrontation to Stabilisation	81
	Confrontation among conservatives--Yoshida vs. the Old Guard	81
	Stabilisation: the birth of the Liberal Democratic Party	84
	National confrontation: the Kishi government and the 'Reverse Course' (1957-60)	86
	The Security Treaty crisis and the fall of Kishi	89
	Impact of the crisis; the Ikeda government takes over	94
	The Economy: Foundations Laid for the Miracle	98
	Financing, controlling, enticing	99
	Foreign trade regulation and protectionism	100
	Regulation of competition and encouragement of innovation	101
	The threat of liberalisation: 'black ships' II	103
	Society in the Growth Period	103
	Rising standards of living and the consumer revolution	103
	A job for life--within limits	105
	Persistence of the dual economy	107
	A large rural population still	107
	Trade unions: weaknesses and adaptation	108
	New Ways of Thinking?	110
	The 'Tribe of the Sun'--and others	110
	Rich and diverse literature	111
	The heyday of Japanese cinema	111
	Foreign Policy: Japan Returns to the International Scene	113
	Dependence on the USA and its limits	113
	Normalisation of relations with the USSR; UN membership	115
	Between two Chinas	116
	Japan's return to South-East Asia	117
	The rest of the world	118
4.	The 'Miracle' and its other side (1962-72)	120
	The Decade of the Economic Miracle	120
	The High Growth Era (Kodo seicho)	120
	The recipes for growth	122
	New elements: challenge to MITI	124
	The Other Side of the Miracle	126
	Pollution, a national disaster: the 'four big cases'	126
	Hard life in the mega-cities	127
	Disarray, uncertainty and the 'new religions'	129
	Youth, cinema and revolt	130
	Intellectuals in disarray and the return of 'Japanese-ness'	133
	New Struggles	135
	Citizen, community and consumer movements	135
	Anti-discrimination movements	136
	The student outbreak of 1968 and the terrorist movement	139
	Parties and the Political System in a Time of Change	141
	The Liberal Democratic Party: steady consolidation	142
	The Japan Socialist Party: gradual decline	145
	The Communist Party: revival	146
	Buddhist politics: the Komeito	148
	The Democratic Socialist Party: stagnation	149
	Pressure Groups in the Political System; Neo-Corporatist Trends	150
	Employers' organisations: not all-powerful	151
	Small-scale business: a growing force	151
	Agricultural cooperatives: the pillar of the LDP's hegemony	152
	Religious movements	153
	Other pressure groups	154
	Foreign Policy	155
	Tension with the United States: the 'Nixon shocks'	155
	Normalising relations with China	159
	The Soviet Union: enduring antagonism	160
	Normalising relations with Korea	160
	First Asian cooperation moves	161
	Limited role elsewhere	164
	End of the Sato Government, July 1972	164
5.	A Shock-Absorber System (1972-80)	167
	A Nation in Crisis (1972-6)	167
	Trade crisis, oil shock, hyperinflation	167
	Political crisis: the Tanaka government (1972-4)	169
	'Money politics' and the fall of Tanaka	173
	The Miki government and the Lockheed scandal (1974-6)	175
	Economic Recovery	178
	Relaunching and restructuring the economy	178
	The other side of success: rising trade friction	181
	The budget crisis and the debate on taxation	183
	The Conservative Comeback (1977-80)	185
	The Fukuda government (1977-8)	185
	The Ohira government (1978-80)	187
	An Impotent Opposition	190
	The Socialist Party: paralysed by divisions	190
	The Komeito: from opposition to collaboration	193
	The Communist Party: solid but marginal	195
	Democratic Socialists, Shaminren and the New Liberal Club--desperately waiting for a role	196
	Mini-parties: a new political force in the making	197
	Conservative Trends in Society	198
	Social movements: division and recovery	198
	Conservatives on the offensive	199
	The 'new middle-class masses': conformity, 'my-homeism' and the decline of ideologies	203
	Japan and the outside world: distrust vs. superiority complex	205
	Foreign Policy	206
	A new posture: 'all-round diplomacy'	206
	Between Beijing and Moscow: how to deal with unquiet giants?	208
	From Asia to the Pacific Basin: broadening vision	209
	Elsewhere in the world	212
6.	The Dilemmas of Power (1980-92)	214
	Politics: 'the Conservative Decade' (and how it ended)	214
	Back to the LDP's hegemony	214
	Conservative achievements, 1: 'administrative reform' and the neo-liberal offensive	216
	Conservative achievements, 2: rehabilitation of the military and the neo-nationalist offensive	219
	Return to balance of power from 1989	222
	Towards reshaping the political system	224
	The Economy: Explosion of Power	227
	Japan as Number One?	227
	Voluntary export restraint--and ways round it	229
	Revaluation of the yen and the 'bubble economy'	230
	Japan-phobia, IIS talks and new modernisation	232
	A society on the turn: problems and prospects	234
	Society	236
	Going for change--quietly	236
	'New human beings' and 'internationalisation'	238
	Japan's Search for a Role in the New World Order	241
	1980-5: return to the West	241
	Japan and the 'New World Order': is Asia the solution?	242
7.	The End of the 'Japanese Model' (1992-2000)	247
	Japan and Globalisation: Challenge to the Economic and Social Model	249
	Banking crisis, scandals, paralysis of the government	249
	Fukugo fukyo--the 'complex recession' (1992-2001)	256
	A political therapy: reflation	260
	Risotura--'reconstruction'	262
	Shizen tota (natural selection): keiretsu and 'convoys' in decline	265
	Foreigners come into play	267
	Kudoka--'hollowing out'	269
	Paths to the future	275
	Kiseikanwa--'deregulation'	277
	Politics: The End of the '1955 System' and the Unfinished Recomposition	282
	Neo-conservative boom and the 1993 elections	282
	The LDP out of power (1993-4)	284
	The LDP--Socialist--Harbinger coalition and the traumas of 1995	288
	Birth of the Democratic Party and the 1996 elections	293
	The LDP on the way back to hegemony?	298
	Towards a new political equilibrium: the challenge of local communities	301
	Return to Contestation and Changes in Thinking	304
	The right to know, the right to act	304
	Against discrimination: women and foreigners	306
	Environmental protest: a new spirit	308
	Down with the straitjacket! New social utopias	309
	Japan sinks! A society under stress	312
	Reacting to stress: leaders, religions, NGOs and movies	313
	'Nice new nationalism', 'Asian values' and revisionism: Nihonjinron revived	316
	Japan's International Position	319
	New geostrategic situation in Asia	319
	'Return to Asia'? The question of regional leadership	322
	Disputes: Japan vs. Russia and Korea	325
	Tensions in the Japan-China-USA triangle, 1993-6	328
	Tokyo's choice: extension of the Security Treaty and outlines of a new military posture	334
	Japan and the Asian crisis since 1997	338
	Europe: 'the third side of the triangle'	340
	Bibliography	343
	Index	365

Editorial Reviews

Western writing attempting to "explain" Japan is dominated by American authors. This English-language translation by Japanologist Bouissou represents a European perspective. As the title suggests, Japan's economic prosperity has not been without its drawbacks. Bouissou aims to provide an evenhanded academic summary of how Japan has reached the present by focusing on the postwar years. Unlike many other authors of books of this nature, Bouissou avoids the sensational and does not venture predictions of the future. Instead, he clearly weaves together history, politics, economics, and social commentary, offering a perceptive overview of Japan's modern history. The 22-page bibliography is drawn mostly from English-language publications and includes very little from Japanese authors in any language. As Bouissou himself admits in the preface, his book might be too challenging for students yet disappointing for specialists as the same sources tend to produce the same interpretations. It is thus best suited for larger academic libraries. [This is the latest installment in a French series that consists of noteworthy translations of social science titles emanating from the Paris-based Centre d' tudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI). Ed.] Harold M. Otness, formerly of Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal